Open AccessOzone production by amino acids contributes to killing of bacteria
Author(s) -
Kouhei Yamashita,
Takashi Miyoshi,
Toshiyuki Arai,
Nobuyuki Endo,
Hiroshi Itoh,
Keisuke Makino,
Kiyomi Mizugishi,
Takashi Uchiyama,
Masataka Sasada
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.0807952105
Subject(s) - bacteria , ozone , microbiology and biotechnology , reactive oxygen species , amino acid , innate immune system , chemistry , biology , host (biology) , biochemistry , ecology , genetics , receptor , organic chemistry
Reactive oxygen species produced by phagocytosing neutrophils are essential for innate host defense against invading microbes. Previous observations revealed that antibody-catalyzed ozone formation by human neutrophils contributed to the killing of bacteria. In this study, we discovered that 4 amino acids themselves were able to catalyze the production of an oxidant with the chemical signature of ozone from singlet oxygen in the water-oxidation pathway, at comparable level to antibodies. The resultant oxidant with the chemical signature of ozone exhibited significant bactericidal activity in our distinct cell-free system and in human neutrophils. The results also suggest that an oxidant with the chemical signature of ozone produced by neutrophils might potentiate a host defense system, when the host is challenged by high doses of infectious agents. Our findings provide biological insights into the killing of bacteria by neutrophils.